A basic automotive engine, no matter its size or type, works by combusting--or burning--a combination of fuel (gas or diesel) and air inside its cylinders. The cylinders are long, narrow passageways in the center of the engine that house the engine pistons. The pistons are what compress the air and the fuel inside the engine.
As the fuel and air are compressed inside the engine, the spark plugs, which are small ceramic diodes attached to each cylinder wall, ignite the air and the fuel inside each cylinder. The spark plugs are attached to wires that receive electrical current from the car's electrical system. This electrical current, or spark, is what initiates combustion inside an engine.
The force of the engine combustion is what gives an engine its power. The engine pistons, connected to the engine crankshaft, which is in turn connected to the driveshaft of a vehicle, are thrust downward inside the engine with violent force. This occurs each time the air and fuel mixture is ignited. As the pistons are thrust downward, the force of the engine combustion is transferred through the engine crankshaft, the driveshaft and ultimately to the wheels of the vehicle.
